Lieutenant Colonel Mai Anh Tuan, head of the Search and Recovery Team for Fallen Soldiers’ Remains under the Da Nang City Military Command, said that excavations revealed the remains were severely decomposed, with some reduced to small bone fragments. Of the five sets of remains recovered, only one yielded a sample suitable for forensic examination.

Collection of biological samples from martyrs’ remains.

At the search site, the authorities also discovered numerous personal effects, including two infantry shovels, two cooking pots, one pot lid, one ladle, two hammocks, two rainproof tarpaulins, backpack straps, 20 buttons, parts of oil lamps, one AK rifle, one grey uniform, and numerous pieces of parachute fabric and blue clothing. Notably, among the items was a gold earring bearing the initials “NT”.

Regarding the circumstances surrounding the discovery, Nguyen Thai Qua, born in 1951 and residing in Que Son Commune, said that in 1967, while helping camouflage military fortifications in the area, he saw three soldiers running into the Ba Hoi rock shelter for cover. The enemy subsequently launched an artillery attack on the shelter. He suspected that the soldiers had suffocated and died inside.

Based on the information collected, Da Nang authorities have initially identified the 31st and 38th Regiments, both under Division 2, as units that took part in combat in the area. This provides a basis for further cross-checking and verification of information about the units involved, as well as the identities of the fallen soldiers.

The Search and Recovery Team for Fallen Soldiers’ Remains under the Da Nang City Military Command is continuing to expand its search deeper inside the Ba Hoi shelter. It is also collecting information, cross-checking records and verifying relevant data to support efforts to identify the recovered remains.

According to statistics, following the merger, Da Nang City has more than 90,828 fallen soldiers. To date, the city has searched for and recovered 78,668 sets of martyrs’ remains, while 7,259 fallen soldiers’ remains have yet to be recovered and information on 4,901 fallen soldiers remains unknown.

During the first phase of the 500-Day Campaign to Intensify the Search, Recovery and Identification of Fallen Soldiers’ Remains, the city completed the search for and recovery of 138 sets of remains in accordance with its plan.

Alongside its search and recovery efforts, Da Nang has completed sample collection at all 144 martyrs’ cemeteries across the city, with a total of 25,672 graves examined and sampled. The city has also handed over 5,960 samples from martyrs’ remains to the National Institute of Forensic Medicine for DNA testing, helping accelerate the process of identifying fallen soldiers.

Key Results of 500-Day Campaign to Search For, Recover and Identify Fallen Soldiers’ Remains

10 More Martyrs' Remains Found at Le Thi Rieng Park